For all you MFP geniuses out there.... HELP!

amanda07425
amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
So to get out a of plateau that I've been in for over two months, I decided to try zig zagging calories. After much reading on MFP, I found to eat 1200 calories days 1 & 2, 1920 day 3, 1200 calories day 4 & 5, 1920 day 6, 1200 day 7 and repeat. Now I only started this Monday which was day 1 but I'm gaining weight! I gained 1.5 lbs in less than a week.. all I have to say is WTF?!

I was told by many and ready many things that zig zagging would get me out of the slump and help me lose weight. Maybe I am doing it wrong or something but why is it making me gain weight?!

I'm BEYOND frustrated with my body and weight loss journey right now and I could REALLY use some help. I'm thinking that I might stop zig zagging calories and just try to eat 1420 ( -1 lb a week set by MFP) and eat all of my exercise calories back. I recently upped the calories b/c of the plateau but didn't really give it a shot b/c I heard about zig zagging cals.

If ANYONE has ANY input, I'll be GLAD to hear it! I'm DESPERATE!!!!



PS.. I KNOW my sodium is high, i have trouble with that.. and that 1.5 lbs might be water weight, but I want to lose fat again and drop the inches and lbs.. and i haven't been able to do that in 2 months, please HELP!

Replies

  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Look at your sodium levels. They are as bad as mine, and I can not loose anymore weight too. you are retaining water and who knows what else.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    First, you have to give your body some time. While you went up in weight a little, give it a chance to work it may take a week or two. Not losing every day, or every week at times is normal.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I feel if I am going to keep the weight off forever, I needed to learn to eat the right calories all the time. With the occasional splurge.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Look at your sodium levels. They are as bad as mine, and I can not loose anymore weight too. you are retaining water and who knows what else.

    This too - your sodium is very high. Try adding some whole foods - chicken you grill/bake yourself, fruits and veggies.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    It's impossible to see results that quickly - eating lots of calories in one day does not put on weight overnight.

    Give it a good 3-4 weeks and then assess.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    If you're close to your goal weight, it might be helpful to start ignoring weight and tracking measurements instead. It's too easy to gain or lose a pound of water with a simple trip to the drinking fountain or the toilet. When that pound is a third of the total you want to lose it can be misleading.
  • 1dragonfly
    1dragonfly Posts: 18 Member
    It may be your carbs are set too high--and the type of carbs matter too. My trainer has been harping me on that because I'm at a plateau that is hard to get past.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    Are there any fruits and vegetables that you really like? I see you had pineapple as a snack a couple of days and I saw green beans one evening. But other than that, you don't get much in the way of fruits and veggies. Both will help fill you up with very few calories and will also keep your digestive system working properly.

    I was also a bit confused reading your diary. It looks like even when you are allowing yourself 1900 calories, you aren't always eating back your exercise calories, but sometimes you are. I would think that you would need to do one or the other consistently to see results. I've never zig zagged, I have found that when I have "plateaued" it was because I was getting a bit slack about my portion sizes or eating out more than usual. As soon as I buckle back down, the weight started coming off again.
  • dogwhisperette
    dogwhisperette Posts: 177 Member
    Look at your sodium levels. They are as bad as mine, and I can not loose anymore weight too. you are retaining water and who knows what else.
    Totally agree! I have my sodium at 1500/day as I have high blood pressure and thats where my doctor suggested I be. I rarely even take in that amount of sodium. I was on a plateau for what felt like FOREVER and once I started consentrating on my sodium... BANG plateau was gone! That was my experience, hope this helps
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
    you are not eating the cleanest, thats for sure...
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    It may be your carbs are set too high--and the type of carbs matter too. My trainer has been harping me on that because I'm at a plateau that is hard to get past.

    What should they be set at?!
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
    WATER WATER WATER!
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    you are not eating the cleanest, thats for sure...

    I know I could eat better, which I have a hard time coming up with things to take to work that are quick and easy to travel so if you have any ideas, please share.

    I have lost weight eating the way I am not that it an excuse b/c I know I can eat better so I mean is that really the problem?
  • cmiles23
    cmiles23 Posts: 234 Member
    try this calculator to figure out what yu should be eating...... maybe you are spiking too high?? if i input my stats it tells me to eat like this:
    Fat Loss Maintain
    Monday 1299 1623
    Tuesday 1048 1299
    Wednesday 1558 1948
    Thursday 1299 1623
    Friday 1169 1461
    Saturday 1428 1785
    Sunday 1299 1623

    here is the link:http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    Is sodium really wants keeping my from losing fat? I mean it might hold onto water weight but it doesn't hold onto fat. What I want is to lose the fat, and if I was the weight would be coming off.
  • melcowenfitness
    melcowenfitness Posts: 221 Member
    I know I could eat better, which I have a hard time coming up with things to take to work that are quick and easy to travel so if you have any ideas, please share.

    I have lost weight eating the way I am not that it an excuse b/c I know I can eat better so I mean is that really the problem?

    Over the years, I have lost weight off and on by eating in a variety of ways, but they were not healthy/clean ways of eating. I started eating clean a year ago and have lost 30 pounds and have been able to keep it off. I consistently eat 1900+ calories/day (I'm 5'3" and now weigh 115 pounds) and have been successful in keeping the weight off just by being consistent with my nutrition and fitness.

    Here are some quick snack ideas:
    Grapes (20)
    Cut up kiwi
    Strawberries
    Sliced red peppers
    Grape or cherry tomatoes
    Plain Greek yogurt with cut up fruit (mango, pineapple, blueberries, etc.)
    Salad (careful with the dressing)
    Melon
    Hard boiled eggs
    Cucumber slices
    Celery with hummus
    Apple
    Protein bar (look for ones low in carbs/sugars)
    Cheese sticks (low fat)
    Melba toast or whole wheat crackers with all natural peanut butter
    Almonds (limit to 1/4 cup per day)
    Dill pickle
    Cottage cheese (low fat)
    Take any of the above items and wrap them in a low carb wrap for a healthy lunch or dinner.

    Use hummus for dipping veggies.

    Take plain Greek yogurt and mix in your favorite herbs & spices for a healthy alternative to regular dip.

    Need a little sweetener? Use Truvia instead of artificial brand sweeteners.

    The trick here is to only pack the amount that you need - read the labels to figure out what one serving is and pack accordingly.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    you are not eating the cleanest, thats for sure...

    I know I could eat better, which I have a hard time coming up with things to take to work that are quick and easy to travel so if you have any ideas, please share.

    I have lost weight eating the way I am not that it an excuse b/c I know I can eat better so I mean is that really the problem?

    You've lost some weight eating the way you were, but you would likely lose more by eating more whole foods instead of the processed stuff. Plus by adding fruits and veggies. A big salad at lunch with some grilled chicken (or for dinner for that matter). You could bring leftovers from your dinner the night before or a sandwich or some raw veggies and dip.
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
    it really helps me to plan out my meals for the week on the weekends, for example i'll bake a bunch of chicken breasts on sunday and toss them in a large ziplock bag and throw them in the fridge. This makes it really easy for me to grab one for a salad or a sandwhich whenever i want, i just have to heat it up quick...
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    I know I could eat better, which I have a hard time coming up with things to take to work that are quick and easy to travel so if you have any ideas, please share.

    I have lost weight eating the way I am not that it an excuse b/c I know I can eat better so I mean is that really the problem?

    Over the years, I have lost weight off and on by eating in a variety of ways, but they were not healthy/clean ways of eating. I started eating clean a year ago and have lost 30 pounds and have been able to keep it off. I consistently eat 1900+ calories/day (I'm 5'3" and now weigh 115 pounds) and have been successful in keeping the weight off just by being consistent with my nutrition and fitness.

    Here are some quick snack ideas:
    Grapes (20)
    Cut up kiwi
    Strawberries
    Sliced red peppers
    Grape or cherry tomatoes
    Plain Greek yogurt with cut up fruit (mango, pineapple, blueberries, etc.)
    Salad (careful with the dressing)
    Melon
    Hard boiled eggs
    Cucumber slices
    Celery with hummus
    Apple
    Protein bar (look for ones low in carbs/sugars)
    Cheese sticks (low fat)
    Melba toast or whole wheat crackers with all natural peanut butter
    Almonds (limit to 1/4 cup per day)
    Dill pickle
    Cottage cheese (low fat)
    Take any of the above items and wrap them in a low carb wrap for a healthy lunch or dinner.

    Use hummus for dipping veggies.

    Take plain Greek yogurt and mix in your favorite herbs & spices for a healthy alternative to regular dip.

    Need a little sweetener? Use Truvia instead of artificial brand sweeteners.

    The trick here is to only pack the amount that you need - read the labels to figure out what one serving is and pack accordingly.




    Thanks for all the suggestions.. Although, I can't live off just veggies & fruits.. what about protein or some carbs? I usually am still hungry after eating a salad or having some fruit which is my problem..



    To get down to the real question..


    IS this going to make me lose weight again???? Or is it the amount of calories I'm eating or the exercises I'm doing?!??!?!
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
    I went and looked at a few things. You are eating a lot of carbs and not enough protien. I have not been able to stay under my protien. I think you should be able to add some protien to your meals and switch out some carbs. Throw in a hard boiled egg or something for breakfast. Make some snack bags with some almonds as a snack. Those will give you sustanance and make you feel fuller longer and it will also give you energy so you can add some pep to your workout.
    I see you are doing a lot of cardio. You might want to add some weight training somehow. It will help you build lean muscle which will help you burn calories.

    I also noticed you are within 20lbs of your goal. The weight is going to come off slower, so you might want to lower your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Keep in mind the closer you are to your goal the less room there is for error. Watch out for things you might munch and not record. Make sure you are double checking the calories on everthing to make you you have them right. You might also want to use a HRM to make sure your exercise calories are accurate. Do NOT count cleaning and cooking as exercise. It is included in your daily activity level.

    I agree with you that sodium isn't going to make you gain fat. It will help you hold on to water, but in my opinion that water weight will add to your day to day weight, but not your overall weight. You can only retain so much water IMHO.

    Keep doing what you are doing with counting and exercise. It just needs some tweaking.
    Best wishes
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    I went and looked at a few things. You are eating a lot of carbs and not enough protien. I have not been able to stay under my protien. I think you should be able to add some protien to your meals and switch out some carbs. Throw in a hard boiled egg or something for breakfast. Make some snack bags with some almonds as a snack. Those will give you sustanance and make you feel fuller longer and it will also give you energy so you can add some pep to your workout.
    I see you are doing a lot of cardio. You might want to add some weight training somehow. It will help you build lean muscle which will help you burn calories.

    I also noticed you are within 20lbs of your goal. The weight is going to come off slower, so you might want to lower your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Keep in mind the closer you are to your goal the less room there is for error. Watch out for things you might munch and not record. Make sure you are double checking the calories on everthing to make you you have them right. You might also want to use a HRM to make sure your exercise calories are accurate. Do NOT count cleaning and cooking as exercise. It is included in your daily activity level.

    I agree with you that sodium isn't going to make you gain fat. It will help you hold on to water, but in my opinion that water weight will add to your day to day weight, but not your overall weight. You can only retain so much water IMHO.

    Keep doing what you are doing with counting and exercise. It just needs some tweaking.
    Best wishes


    Thanks, I'm not unsure as to HOW many calories I should eat a day to LOSE weight. Should I stop trying this zig zagging thing? Should I just aim to eat 1420 calories + exercise calories??

    I do agree with you.. I looked back and when I was losing weight I was doing the 30 day shred and going on walks. Now I've been doing c25k which is all cardio. My question is, did I lose weight before because I was lifting & cardio or was it because I just started eating less? I can't figure out if the 30 day shred caused the success or was it because I was just starting out and cut back on A LOT of calories?!

    I'd do the 30 day shred again but I am SO bored with it. If I go to the gym what would be the best exercise to do again? I'm not very good at lifting b/c I never know what exercises to do. Should I try the ellipical or do some intervals on the treadmill of jogging/walking?
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    I went and looked at a few things. You are eating a lot of carbs and not enough protien. I have not been able to stay under my protien. I think you should be able to add some protien to your meals and switch out some carbs. Throw in a hard boiled egg or something for breakfast. Make some snack bags with some almonds as a snack. Those will give you sustanance and make you feel fuller longer and it will also give you energy so you can add some pep to your workout.
    I see you are doing a lot of cardio. You might want to add some weight training somehow. It will help you build lean muscle which will help you burn calories.

    I also noticed you are within 20lbs of your goal. The weight is going to come off slower, so you might want to lower your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Keep in mind the closer you are to your goal the less room there is for error. Watch out for things you might munch and not record. Make sure you are double checking the calories on everthing to make you you have them right. You might also want to use a HRM to make sure your exercise calories are accurate. Do NOT count cleaning and cooking as exercise. It is included in your daily activity level.

    I agree with you that sodium isn't going to make you gain fat. It will help you hold on to water, but in my opinion that water weight will add to your day to day weight, but not your overall weight. You can only retain so much water IMHO.

    Keep doing what you are doing with counting and exercise. It just needs some tweaking.
    Best wishes


    Thanks, I'm not unsure as to HOW many calories I should eat a day to LOSE weight. Should I stop trying this zig zagging thing? Should I just aim to eat 1420 calories + exercise calories??

    I do agree with you.. I looked back and when I was losing weight I was doing the 30 day shred and going on walks. Now I've been doing c25k which is all cardio. My question is, did I lose weight before because I was lifting & cardio or was it because I just started eating less? I can't figure out if the 30 day shred caused the success or was it because I was just starting out and cut back on A LOT of calories?!

    I'd do the 30 day shred again but I am SO bored with it. If I go to the gym what would be the best exercise to do again? I'm not very good at lifting b/c I never know what exercises to do. Should I try the ellipical or do some intervals on the treadmill of jogging/walking?

    I always shake it up at the gym. I almost never do the same cardio two days in a row. I'll do the orbital 2-3 days a week and in between, I do the elliptical one day and the treadmill another. Until I hit my goal, I'm not doing much strength training due to time constraints. On the weekends or cooler evenings, I walk my dogs 2-3 miles.

    You may want to go to your settings and change it to losing 1/2 lb a week since you are pretty close to your goal. I did that a couple of weeks ago and am eating 1520 calories a day + my exercise calories. My weight is moving down slowly, but steadily.
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
    I not too familiar with the zig zagging. I have read a lot of people saying it works, but you don't really need to do that. (you could do it, but dont' need to.) What I would do is chage your goals to 1/2 lb a week. Make sure you are eating filling protien snacks. If you have salad top it with some protien.

    I think you need to do both cardio and wieght. I alternat between my elliptical and treadmill for arobics. I have hand weights which I execise with doing sit ups and push up, squats and lunges, those all help build muscle too. I don't know if you like DVD, but it seems like you might. You could get some kettle bell workout dvds. I was reading somewhere that one person had 3 different dvd she rotated through so she didnt' get bored. You could throw a mix into that for weight and toning.
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    I went and looked at a few things. You are eating a lot of carbs and not enough protien. I have not been able to stay under my protien. I think you should be able to add some protien to your meals and switch out some carbs. Throw in a hard boiled egg or something for breakfast. Make some snack bags with some almonds as a snack. Those will give you sustanance and make you feel fuller longer and it will also give you energy so you can add some pep to your workout.
    I see you are doing a lot of cardio. You might want to add some weight training somehow. It will help you build lean muscle which will help you burn calories.

    I also noticed you are within 20lbs of your goal. The weight is going to come off slower, so you might want to lower your goal to 1/2 lb a week. Keep in mind the closer you are to your goal the less room there is for error. Watch out for things you might munch and not record. Make sure you are double checking the calories on everthing to make you you have them right. You might also want to use a HRM to make sure your exercise calories are accurate. Do NOT count cleaning and cooking as exercise. It is included in your daily activity level.

    I agree with you that sodium isn't going to make you gain fat. It will help you hold on to water, but in my opinion that water weight will add to your day to day weight, but not your overall weight. You can only retain so much water IMHO.

    Keep doing what you are doing with counting and exercise. It just needs some tweaking.
    Best wishes


    Thanks, I'm not unsure as to HOW many calories I should eat a day to LOSE weight. Should I stop trying this zig zagging thing? Should I just aim to eat 1420 calories + exercise calories??

    I do agree with you.. I looked back and when I was losing weight I was doing the 30 day shred and going on walks. Now I've been doing c25k which is all cardio. My question is, did I lose weight before because I was lifting & cardio or was it because I just started eating less? I can't figure out if the 30 day shred caused the success or was it because I was just starting out and cut back on A LOT of calories?!

    I'd do the 30 day shred again but I am SO bored with it. If I go to the gym what would be the best exercise to do again? I'm not very good at lifting b/c I never know what exercises to do. Should I try the ellipical or do some intervals on the treadmill of jogging/walking?

    I always shake it up at the gym. I almost never do the same cardio two days in a row. I'll do the orbital 2-3 days a week and in between, I do the elliptical one day and the treadmill another. Until I hit my goal, I'm not doing much strength training due to time constraints. On the weekends or cooler evenings, I walk my dogs 2-3 miles.

    You may want to go to your settings and change it to losing 1/2 lb a week since you are pretty close to your goal. I did that a couple of weeks ago and am eating 1520 calories a day + my exercise calories. My weight is moving down slowly, but steadily.

    I just changed it last thursday from - 1.5 lbs a week to - 1 lb a week, do you really think I should change it again? I know I'm close to my goal but from 164 to 145 seems like so far to me!
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